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Research Group: Palaeoceanography and Palaeoclimate

Currently Active:: Yes

Understanding past changes in the Earth System provides the essential context for future climate prediction. Southampton’s Palaeoceanography and Palaeoclimate research group is big and active with a critical mass of around 60 academics, post-doctoral researchers and PhD students and a suite of state-of-the-art geochemical, micropalaeontological, core-processing and numerical modeling facilities. Our research is global in scope. We work in all ocean basins on key problems in Earth history spanning the Anthropocene to the Palaeozoic.

Group Overview

Our specific research strengths include:

the development, calibration, and quantitative application of new research tools
past ocean circulation, temperature, and continental ice volume (sea level)
the history of biogeochemical cycling and global biodiversity
high frequency climate change on seasonal through centennial time scales
past changes in regional and global carbon cycling, including ocean acidity and atmospheric CO₂ levels
ecological/palaeocological applications of foraminifera

Contact: Professor Paul Wilson

Key aspects of the Research Group

(i) A critical mass (~60) of staff, post-docs, PhD students
(ii) A world-class suite of stable isotope, trace metal and SEM laboratories
(iii) Organic Geochemistry and Superconducting Rock Magnetometry laboratories

Other University of Southampton sites

Facilities

The Palaeoceanography and Palaeoclimate Research Group is equipped with state-of-the-art research laboratories.

These laboratories are used for a wide range of research purposes and upper level project work.

Palaeomagnetism and Environmental Magnetism Laboratory

The Palaeomagnetism and Environmental Magnetism Laboratory houses a list of state-of-the-art instrumentation as well as a shielded room to support palaeomagnetism, rock and mineral magnetism, magnetic stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental-related research. With instruments including a Princeton Measurements Corporation MicroMag 3900 Vibrating Sample Magnetometer and an AGICO KLY4S Kappabridge, magnetic properties of samples can be studied in detail at a range of temperatures to determine the concentration, grain size and mineralogy of magnetic particles in samples. A 2G Enterprises Superconducting Rock Magnetometer provides the capability to rapidly and accurately measure the natural and various laboratory-induced magnetic remanence for continuous and discrete samples. For further information, contact Dr Chuang Xuan, tel: +44 (0)23 8059 6401.

Stable Isotope Ratio Mass-Spectrometry (SIRMS) Laboratory

The SIRMS laboratory was established in 1998 with NERC, HEFCE-SRIF and ESSO funds. The facilities function is the measurement of stable isotope ratios of various materials including ¹³C and ¹⁸O in carbonates (sediments and foraminifera), ¹³C and ¹⁵N in organic materials (plankton and soils), ¹⁸O in water samples and deuterium in water samples. For further information, contact Bastian Hambach, tel: +44 (0)23 8059 6573, Professor Paul Wilson, tel: +44 (0)23 8059 6164 or Dr Steven Bohaty, tel: +44 (0)23 8059 3040.

Scanning Electron Microscope Laboratory

The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) facility was established in 2001, originally funded by NERC, the University of Southampton and Carl Zeiss SMT Ltd, to support high-resolution palaeoceanographical, palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental research. The instrumentation includes a Leo 1450VP SEM and an Oxford Instruments X-Act 10mm² area SDD EDS Detector, utilising the AZtecEnergy software system. A range of services are offered, including secondary electron and backscattered electron imaging, automated image acquisition, elemental mapping and qualitative and quantitative elemental spot analysis. Museum and other sensitive specimens can be safely imaged or chemically analysed using the SEM variable pressure (VP) mode.

The SEM facility is a research and teaching resource available for use by staff, postgraduate students and final year undergraduate students. The facility is also available for use by staff in other university departments and commercial clients. We have expertise in the examination of geological, metallurgical and some biological materials. For further information, contact Dr Richard Pearce, tel: +44 (0)23 8059 6477/6518.

X-Ray Diffraction Laboratory

The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) facility located at NOCS provides a service for the qualitative or quantitative analysis of rock samples to determine bulk mineralogy and/or clay mineralogy. Samples are run on a Philips X'Pert pro XRD machine with a Cu X-ray tube. Mineral identification is undertaken using the JC PDS (powder diffraction studies) database. For further information, contact Dr Richard Pearce, tel: +44 (0)23 8059 6477.

Organic Geochemistry and Compound Specific Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry

The new Organic Geochemistry Facility, part of the SEAPORT Carbon Laboratories, represents a major expansion of the geochemical capabilities at the University of Southampton. Led by Dr Jessica Whiteside the Facility is housed in new, purpose built laboratory spaces and hosts a variety of new instruments designed to comprehensively characterize organic matter from the environment and the geological record. The facility has dedicated sample preparation lab, wet chemistry lab space, and an instrumentation lab utilizing state of the art automated gas and liquid chromatographs linked to various mass spectrometers, including a GC-isotope ratio mass spectrometer. For further information please contact Dr Jessica Whiteside or Dr Sargent Bray.

Postgraduate opportunities

Browse ALL available research projects

Publications

Articles

Book Chapters

Zhang, W., Ezard, T., Searle-Barnes, A., Brombacher, A., Katsamenis, O., & Nixon, M. (2020). Towards understanding speciation by automated extraction and description of 3d foraminifera stacks. In 2020 IEEE Southwest Symposium on Image Analysis and Interpretation (SSIAI) (pp. 30-33). [9094611] (Proceedings of the IEEE Southwest Symposium on Image Analysis and Interpretation; Vol. 2020-March). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1109/SSIAI49293.2020.9094611
Van Peer, T. E., Liebrand, D., Xuan, C., Lippert, P. C., Agnini, C., Blum, N., Blum, P., Bohaty, S. M., Bown, P. R., Greenop, R., Kordesch, W. E. C., Leonhardt, D., Friedrich, O., & Wilson, P. A. (2017). Data report: revised composite depth scale and splice for IODP Site U1406. In R. D. Norris, P. A. Wilson, & P. Blum (Eds.), Proceedings of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (Vol. 342). Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. https://doi.org/10.2204/iodp.proc.342.202.2017

Conference

Fis, M., Croudace, I., Sear, D., Langdon, P., & Pearce, R. (2019). High resolution scanning of South Pacific lake sediment: relative benefits offered by state-of-the-art micro-XRF and SEM systems. Abstract from International Union for Quaternary Research 20th Congress - 2019, Dublin, Ireland.

Datasets

Letters/Editorials

Che-Castaldo, J., Jones, O. R., Kendall, B. E., Burns, J. H., Childs, D. Z., Ezard, T. H. G., Hernandez-Yanez, H., Hodgson, D. J., Jongejans, E., Knight, T., Merow, C., Ramula, S., Stott, I., Vindenes, Y., Yokomizo, H., & Salguero-Gómez, R. (2020). Comments to “Persistent problems in the construction of matrix population models”. Ecological Modelling, 416, [108913]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108913
Andrews, S. D., Decou, A., Braham, B., Kelly, S. R. A., Robinson, P., Morton, A., Marshall, J. E. A., & Hyden, F. (2020). Exhumed hydrocarbon traps in East Greenland: Reply to Christensen et al.'s comment on Andrews et al. (2020). Basin Research, 32(5), 1249-1251. https://doi.org/10.1111/bre.12467
Alvarez, S., Gibbs, S., Bown, P., Kim, H., Sheward, R., & Ridgwell, A. (2019). Diversity decoupled from ecosystem function and resilience during mass extinction recovery. Nature, 574(7777), 242-245. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1590-8
Tarduno, J. A., Oda, H., Yamamoto, Y., Xuan, C., Lascu, I., & Fukuma, K. (2019). Special issue “Recent advances in geo-, paleo- and rock-magnetism”. Earth, Planets and Space, 71(1), 1-3. [68]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-019-1043-5
Brent, K., McGee, J., McDonald, J., & Rohling, E. J. (2018). International law poses problems for negative emissions research. Nature Climate Change, 8(6), 451-453. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0181-2
Ao, H., Roberts, A. P., Dekkers, M. J., Liu, X., Rohling, E. J., Shi, Z., An, Z., Chang, H., Qiang, X., & Zhao, X. (2018). Reply to Zhang et al. Late Miocene–Pliocene magnetochronology of the Shilou Red Clay on the eastern Chinese Loess Plateau. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 503, 252-255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.08.045

Reports

Rohling, E. (2019). The climate question: Natural cycles, human impact, future outlook. Oxford University Press.
McKay, R. M., De Santis, L., Kulhanek, D. K., Ash, J. A., Beny, F., Browne, I. B., Cortese, G., De Sousa, I. M. C., Dodd, J. D., Esper, O. E., Gales, J. G., Harwood, D. H., Ishino, S., Keisling, B. K., Kim, S., Kim, S., Laberg, J. S., Leckie, R. M., Müller, J., ... Xiong, Z. (2018). International ocean discovery program expedition 374 preliminary report: Ross sea west antarctic ice sheet history: ocean-ice sheet interactions and west antarctic ice sheet vulnerability: Clues from the neogene and quaternary record of the outer ross sea continental margin. (374 ed.) (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program: Preliminary Reports). International Ocean Discovery Program. https://doi.org/10.14379/iodp.pr.374.2018
Evans, C., Zhu, X., Chiorean, C., Chipulu, M., Fair, N., Ford, N., Gobbi, M., Grange, L., Harding, I., Harris, L., Lock, J., Lotti, E., Mashanovich, G., Perisic, V., Pettit, S., Spencer, V., Telford, M., & Thorpe, K. (2018). Supporting student agency and success in higher education and beyond through the development of assessment feedback skills (the ability to self-monitor and self-evaluate). (Office for Students’ Experimental Innovation Report). University of Southampton.

Review

Williams, R., Katavouta, A., & Goodwin, P. (2019). Carbon-cycle feedbacks operating in the climate system. Current Climate Change Reports, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40641-019-00144-9

Theses

Van Peer, T. (2017). Palaeomagnetic, astrochronological, and environmental magnetic perspective on Oligocene-Miocene climate, using drift sediments from the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Universty of Southampton.
Hellio, G. (2015). Modèles stochastiques de mesures archéomagnétiques. Université Grenoble Alpes.

Research Staff

List of all staff members in Palaeoceanography and Palaeoclimate
Staff Member	Primary Position
Thomas Arney	Postgraduate research student (INSPIRE)
Sandy Avrutin	Postgraduate research student
Steven Bohaty	Associate Professor in Stratigraphy and Palaeoceanography
Alice Booth	Postgraduate research student (INSPIRE)
Sargent Bray	Research Scientist
Anieke Brombacher	Research Fellow
Rachel Brown	Postgraduate research student (SPITFIRE)
Matthew Chadwick	Postgraduate research student (SPITFIRE)
Thomas B Chalk	Leverhulme Research Fellow
Margot Cramwinckel	Research Fellow
Anya Crocker	Research Fellow in Palaeoclimatology
Michael Stanley Dale	Postgraduate research student
Amy L Elson	Postgraduate research student
Thomas H G Ezard	Associate Professor in Evolutionary Ecology
Gavin Foster	Professor of Isotope Geochemistry
Samantha Gibbs	Royal Society University Research Fellow
Philip Goodwin	Associate Professor in Earth System Dynamics
Bastian Hambach	Stable Isotope Laboratory Manager
Ian Harding	Associate Professor in Palaeontology
Emily Hollingsworth	Postgraduate research student (INSPIRE)
Max J Holmström	Postgraduate research student
Rebecca Hopkins	Postgraduate research student
Gordon Inglis	Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow
Amy M Jewell	Postgraduate research student (SPITFIRE)
Yuxi Jin	Research Technician
Lorna Kearns	Postgraduate research student (SPITFIRE)
Alan Kemp	Professor
Tereza Kunkelova	Postgraduate research student (SPITFIRE)
Georgios Margaritis	Postgraduate research student
John Marshall	Professor of Earth Science
Laura E Mears	Postgraduate research student
Harriet R Moore	Postgraduate research student
John Murray	Emeritus Professor of Geology
Matthew Nichols	Postgraduate research student
Richard Pearce	Research Fellow
Libby Robinson	Postgraduate research student (SPITFIRE)
EJ Rohling	Professor of Ocean and Climate Change
Alex Searle-Barnes	Research Technician in Geochemistry
Christopher Standish	Research Fellow in Isotope Geochemistry
Nichola Strandberg	Postgraduate research student (SPITFIRE)
Victoria Taylor	Postgraduate Research Student (SPITFIRE)
Chloe Louise Todd	Postgraduate research student
Rebecca Walley	Postgraduate research student (SPITFIRE)
Jiachun Wang	Postgraduate research student
Jessica H Whiteside	Associate Professor of Geochemistry
Megan Wilding	Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Laboratory Technician
Paul Wilson	Head of Palaeoceanography and Palaeoclimate Research Group, Professor
Chuang Xuan	Associate Professor in Palaeomagnetism

Related Projects

List of related projects to Palaeoceanography and Palaeoclimate
Related Projects	Status
PISTON: Does Developmental Plasticity Influence Speciation?	Active
Windermere Research	Active
Holocene climate variability and environmental change from sediments of Windermere, UK	Active
RESET: Response of humans to abrupt Environmental Transitions	Active
When will 1.5°C of warming occur, and what will the consequences be? (ADJUST1.5)	Active
Centennial-scale relationship of sea-level variability with global temperature & CO2 concentrations	Active
Quaternary sea-level changes	Active
Evolution of Carbon Cycle Dynamics (eCCD)	Active
Understanding diachroneity: Palaeoenvironmental controls on dispersal of planktonic foraminifera in the Plio-Pleistocene oceans	Active
Role of Ocean Biogeochemical Reorganisation in the Intensification of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation	Active
iGlass: Using interglacials to assess future sea level scenarios	Active
COMPADRE and COMADRE databases of population projection matrices	Active

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